What If I Saved You?
by Phantom of The Bandroom
Summary: It's trouble again at Swan Lake, but this time, the tables are turned, and Odette is asked how far she will go to save the one she loves.
1. The Argument

For the first time in years, Chamburg had fallen silent as far as trouble goes. There were no harrowing tales being told about the prince and princess, no legends about magic swans and lakes, no bards singing songs about evil sorcerers.

Yes, it was quiet, some might even say boring.

But Derek and Odette loved every minute of it. Finally, they had time to themselves. Derek was able to enjoy his wife's company and Odette was finally feeling like he had learned from his mistakes with the Forbidden Arts.

However, she still worried. It was hard not to, considering all that had happened, but she felt bad for it. It was as if she was underestimating Derek. True, it was because of his mistakes that she had been put in harm's way, but he always managed to right those wrongs, though he was very nearly too late the last time.

But she found it very easy to forgive him, simply because she loved him so much. And while others may have thought him foolish or even stupid, Odette could see all the good in Derek, rendering the opinions of others totally irrelevant.

"So you're not worried about the Forbidden Arts?" Uberta asked her daughter-in-law one afternoon while they were having tea. Derek was taking care of some small errands, leaving his wife and mother alone.

"Well, I'm sure they're still out there, but I really don't think Derek and I have anything to worry about anymore."

"You're very confident," Uberta noted.

"I suppose it is a little naïve to think that it's over, but if I let myself worry too much, it depresses me and Derek can always tell."

"And seeing you upset upsets him."

"Exactly. So I prefer not to worry too much."

"But you know that some madman could come back at any time, don't you?"

"Are you worried about another attack, Uberta?"

"I'm being realistic, dear."

Odette sighed. She knew Uberta was right, but thinking about the Forbidden Arts was a slippery slope. If she started worrying about it, then she would obsess over it. It was something she kept her mind off of, lest her mind be destroyed by it.

Uberta left a while later, not knowing that she had sown the seeds of trepidation in Odette's mind.

For a few days, it was really all Odette could think about it. Though she didn't want to admit it, the Forbidden Arts and their users had taken a toll on Odette's mind.

She was able to push the thoughts away when she was busy, but when she was alone or just before she was about to go to sleep, she couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if the Forbidden Arts returned. She had been more than lucky, and she knew it.

She wondered when her luck was going to finally run out.

"Derek, where exactly is the place where Rothbart's notes were hidden?" Odette asked one night as she was staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Why?" he asked, not expecting the question as he looked up from the book he was reading.

Odette shrugged, trying to seem like she didn't really care. However, she was dying to know, dying to see for herself where everything had started. She wanted to know if all the trouble and misery associated with the Forbidden Arts was truly over. "I was just wondering."

"It's in a basement, hidden behind a wall. Come, I'll show you."

He led her down to where he had found Rothbart's notes and various other equipment that Rothbart had used in making the Forbidden Arts and where Clavius had gotten his hands on the orb. He hated being down there. It gave him a chill, as if to remind him of all the mistakes he had made.

"And you're sure that it's all gone?" Odette asked, looking at the now empty – if one didn't count the cobwebs – shelves.

"Everything's been destroyed," he assured her.

"And you're sure this time? No secrets?"

"Yes I'm sure. No secrets." He looked at her suspiciously. "Why the questions, Odette?"

"I was just asking."

"Is something bothering you?"

"No," she insisted. "I was just asking."

"Odette, please, if you have something to say, say it."

"It just worries me that we're living in the same place that Rothbart used to cause so much havoc. I want to be sure that it's all gone."

"Well, it is. I promise."

She sighed. "I know I'm being paranoid. I'm sorry."

"You have every right to be."

"I don't want to be."

"So don't be. Trust me."

"I do. I just don't trust _them_…"

He furrowed his eyebrows quizzically. "Who, Odette?"

Odette was suddenly impatient with him, as if he had been asking a stupid question. "Anyone who uses the Forbidden Arts, Derek. Shouldn't it be obvious?"

He was a little taken aback by her sudden change in tone. "I haven't really thought about it."

"It seems silly, I suppose. But don't you think that there were more people than Rothbart, Clavius, and Zelda? We didn't even know about the last two until the came out of nowhere and nearly got us killed."

He shrugged. "I try not to worry about it."

"How can you not, Derek? What makes you think we won't be attacked again?"

"What makes you think we will?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're missing the point."

"No, I'm not. I understand why you're worried. Really, I do. I just don't think it's healthy to let it bother you."

"I disagree."

"So you think it's perfectly alright to let the anticipation for an attack that might never come eat you alive?"

"Oh, I agree with that."

"Then what is it that you're disagreeing with?"

She sighed and began to walk up towards the surface.

"Odette!" Derek called, jogging to catch up with her, although she was merely walking. "Talk to me."

"I shouldn't have said that."

"Said what?"

"That I disagree with you."

"What is it that you disagree with?"

She was quiet for a moment, not looking at him.

"Odette?" Derek prompted.

"I really don't think you understand how I feel."

"Why is that?"

"Because… it just feels like… I don't know. I just feel like if bad things happen, they seem to happen to me more than you."

"And it's my fault?" he asked, feeling defensive. He knew this conversation was rapidly becoming a very bad fight.

"I didn't say that."

"But it seemed like you were thinking it. Furthermore, don't you think losing you would be a bad thing to happen to me?"

"I wasn't saying that it's your fault."

"I know I've messed up. I have more than messed up. I've ruined things. I, because of my own stupidity, have nearly gotten you killed on more than one occasion. And I've yet to forgive myself for it. Odette, I swear, I will never do anything to put you in harm's way ever again."

She nodded but gave no other answer.

"You don't believe me," he said as she turned to leave.

"I didn't say that," she said quickly.

"You didn't have to. Your silence pretty much said it all."

"I didn't mean to-"

"Didn't mean to what?" he interrupted. "Odette… that really hurts."

"I'm sorry. I do believe you. It's just…difficult right now."

"Right now? It's not like it just happened yesterday."

"It might as well have, Derek. I can remember everything."

"And you think I can't?"

"When you think you literally have a second to live, it's not something you take lightly."

"And you shouldn't."

"_You_ shouldn't."

He grimaced. "What does that mean?"

"Only that you could stand to learn from what happened."

He stared at her for a moment. "You're unbelievable. Do you know that?"

"I'm speaking the truth."

"It doesn't mean you have to tell me. What's got you so worked up?"

"_Nothing_ has me worked up."

"Then you're doing this on your own. Odette, I'm not a child, and I have learned. You don't seem to set on giving me a chance to prove that."

He began to walk out.

"Derek, wait," Odette said, knowing she had gone too far.

"I'm going for a walk," he said, trying to suppress the anger and pain in his voice, though Odette could hear it loud and clear.

A moment later, he was gone, leaving Odette alone to feel, at first, annoyed. Then, her irritation gave way to something else; guilt. She had pushed him too far. It wasn't fair for her to attack him as she did. She contemplated going after him, but decided against it. She went to bed, allowing him the time he needed to cool off.


	2. The Imposter

**I'd like to thank lilmoosic011 for all the help with getting this story going... so thanks, lilmoosic011 for all the help with getting this story going :D **

**-The Phantom**

The more she thought about it that night as she lay awake, the more Odette internally screamed at herself for getting so upset with Derek. Of all the people to be angry at and blame for the trouble the Forbidden Arts had caused, Derek was certainly not among them, and she could do nothing but chastise herself until he returned, which was when she planned to apologize.

Although she had initially planned to wait up for him, she eventually fell asleep before she could tell Derek how sorry she truly was.

The next morning, Odette woke up to find that Derek had not come to bed. She looked over to his side. The sheets were cold and unused.

Thinking that Derek might have just slept on a sofa in a rumpus room, either because he was still angry or did not disturb her; she did not know his reason, but she hoped it was the latter.

Trying to think nothing of it, she got out of bed and got dressed. She quickly ran a brush through her hair and left the room, too preoccupied to worry about how she looked. She walked around the castle for a while, trying to find Derek so that she could apologize for her horrid behavior the night before.

It had taken a while to find him, but she did.

He looked strange, though. He looked confused, as if he was looking for something but wasn't sure what.

"Derek?" she called tentatively.

He didn't turn in answer.

"Derek?"

He whirled around suddenly, as if realizing that 'Derek' was his name for the first time. "Who, me? Uh, I mean, yes?"

"Who else would I be talking to?" she joked, smiling a little before she was serious again. "Listen, I wanted to apologize for what I said to you last night."

"Last night?"

"The fight…"

"Oh, that. Well, um. Forget it. I know I have."

She brushed her hair out of her eyes, still upset with herself. "Well, I feel bad about what I said. It was out of line, to say the least."

"It's alright," he said, smiling a little. He walked closer to Odette, who was expecting a kiss in forgiveness, but was disappointed when he kept walking and left the room without another word. She was sure he wasn't angry with her, but he was acting strangely.

It wasn't as if they had never fought before. Actually, they fought as much as any couple. Sometimes it would go on for the entire day. While it seemed caustic to their marriage to some, it often brought them closer together, especially with the guilt they felt for hurting the other's feelings.

When the fighting was over, they apologized and were close again, having learned from their mistakes.

This time, although he'd said he forgave her, Derek wasn't showing any of the normal warmth he would have shown her before. And this, more than anything concerning the Forbidden Arts, worried Odette.

She followed him out, only to find him looking lost and disoriented in the hall.

"Derek?"

Again, he did not answer for a moment. Then, he turned, the same look of surprise on his face as earlier.

"Yes uh… Odette?"

"I wanted to make sure you remembered that your mother is coming today. Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I was just uh… headed to the basement."

"Why?"

"I wanted to make sure nothing of the Forbidden Arts is still there, that's all."

She was immediately suspicious, though of what she did not know. "You said you had destroyed everything last night, remember?"

"Oh, well… I just wanted to be sure; you know, for your safety… because I love you…"

Now that definitely didn't sound like him. Normally, he was very confident when he said he loved her. When he said it this time, he was nervous and unsure. Not even in the worst of situations was he uncertain about how much he loved her, and she knew that.

And that knowledge combined with her excellent intuition sent alarms to her brain signaling that something was definitely wrong. And though she did not ignore it, she pushed it to the back of her mind, waiting for more evidence before she decided to confront Derek about it.

For most of the day, she observed.

To her surprise, when Uberta arrived, Derek acted as if she didn't even know her.

"Derek, Uberta's here," Odette announced.

"Who?"

"Your mother…"

"Oh, oh! Sorry, I couldn't hear you… Right… okay… Mother's here."

Together, they went to the great hall to greet her.

Seeing her son, Uberta picked up her pace and nearly dashed over excitedly. "Hello, Derek, how are you dear?"

"I'm fine, Mother," Derek said, shifting his feet uncomfortably. "Well, I have things to do… I'll go do them now."

He slipped out of the room before anyone could ask him anything else.

Uberta, baffled and perturbed, stared after him, but didn't move to follow.

"He's been acting like that all day," Odette said. "I don't know why."

"Did something happen?"

"We had a fight last night. He went for a walk to cool off, but he didn't come to bed last night. This morning he said he was alright, but I'm not so sure. He's not acting as himself. He's barely even answering to his own name! It's as if he has amnesia."

"He's never been like that before."

"I know. That's why I'm worried."

"Have you talked to him?"

"I've been trying all day, but every time I try to ask him if everything's alright, he just makes an excuse and leaves. He's barely talked to me all day."

Uberta didn't say anything for a moment, trying to understand Derek's sudden shift in behavior. She could think of nothing helpful. "…Maybe he's more upset than you thought. Give him some time."

Odette nodded, but in her mind, she did not agree. There was something seriously wrong, and though it had something to do with the fight, she was sure that Derek wasn't as affected by the argument as Uberta seemed to believe. She was going to confront him soon, and she was going to solve this mystery.

That night, she was about to go to bed when she saw that he was there first.

Again, and more than ever before, she sensed something wrong with him. He wasn't Derek, at least not _her_ Derek.

He was nervous, shaky even, as if he was doing something terribly wrong, something dishonest, even. Odette couldn't stand the idea of being so close to him when he was acting like a total stranger.

A total stranger.

The words seemed to mean something. As she thought about them, they made sense. What if this wasn't Derek at all? The idea seemed far fetched, but it made more sense than blaming Derek's entire change in attitude on one fight, regardless of how bad it might have been.

And how many times had Derek fallen for the "fake Odette" trick when he least expected it?

With this sudden thought in her head, Odette couldn't stand the thought of sharing her bed with this possible imposter.

So she backed out of the room and made a quick, sloppy excuse as to why. "I just remembered; I have a few things to do before I go to sleep tonight… and they'll probably take a while, so don't wait up."

He breathed an audible sigh of relief, then blushed as if he had just done something incriminating. "Okay… uh. Goodnight… dear"

"Goodnight."

She walked out of the room. As she made her way down the hallway and to one of the rumpus rooms in the back of the castle, she thought about the way he had been acting all day.

First of all, after an argument, no matter how bad, she and Derek would be inseparable. But not today. He was distant.

Normally, Derek was confident and friendly. Today, he was confused and shy around people he had been knowing all his life. He barely even answered to his own name.

And he never called her anything as plain as 'dear'; 'dearest,' love', things like that, but never 'dear'.

Her mind was made up. The man she had seen all day was not Derek.

The mere thought about what she was going to do exhausted her. She made her way to a private room in the back of the castle to think. She was awake long into the night before deciding that she would confront him at the first sign of trouble in the morning.

Soon after, she fell into a light doze.

When she woke up, it was the middle of the night, but she could hear footsteps outside her room.

She opened the door just a crack and saw Derek walk by. He was fully dressed. Obviously, he waited until everyone was asleep before he left the room. Odette followed him quietly, sneaking behind him as he went to the back to the basement.

When he was at the entrance, she gave him a few moments to get engrossed in whatever it was that he was doing before she walked in on him.

"What's going on, Derek?" she asked point-blank.

"Uh… nothing…"

She was immediately frustrated. She walked over to him, grimacing. Oddly enough, he was retreating. She backed him into a wall, something she never could have done with the normal Derek.

"What is going on?"

"Nothing, I swear!"

"Wrong answer. I know better than that, and my husband would know that. I'm going to ask you one time; who are you?"

"I'm… Derek. Who else would I be?"

"No, you're not. I know my Derek, my husband. And you are not him."

"Well… I uh…"

"Don't lie to me; it's only going to make things worse. Where is Derek?"

"He's uh… he's locked away."

"Where?"

"In Stonegate."

"Try again. That prison is nothing but a fairytale."

How ridiculous that a place her father had told her about in stories could be where Derek was located at the moment. It was impossible, and this man was definitely lying.

"I swear, it's true. I was ordered to pose as Derek and look for anything that remained of the Forbidden Arts."

"Ordered by whom?"

"Please don't make me tell you," he begged. "I'm already in enough trouble as it is."

"Oh, I know," Odette assured him. "Come on."


	3. The Decision

Odette led Derek's impersonator, who was literally quaking with fear, by the hand, half dragging him up the stairs.

The entire way up, all she could think about was where the man had said the real Derek had been locked away.

Stonegate prison, as she recalled, was a fairytale parents told their children as a tale of caution. A bad child would be hauled off to the prison to be punished. As she got older, the tales were more gruesome as their teller would change from her father to her friends who enjoyed frightening each other with horror stories.

Some said it was created by a paranoid king who wanted to lock away all of his political competitors to secure his rule in the kingdom he ruled. Others said that the prison had been built by a magician who wanted to hold captive all the people who would stop him from taking over the world.

Yes, it was all just a fairytale, but the more she thought about it, the more Odette realized that her life more than resembled a fairytale. Perhaps this idea wasn't so farfetched.

If so, she thought as she got a sudden shiver, then Derek would be in terrible danger, with only God knowing what might be happening to him at that very moment.

She prayed that Stonegate would stay nothing more than a figment of her imagination.

Finally snapping out of her thoughts, Odette ran into two of the guards patrolling the hallway. Rather than try to interrogate the imposter alone, Odette decided it would be better to let the people closest to Derek know what was going on, as they would certainly be concerned with the way "Derek" had been acting all day.

"Would you get Rogers and Bromley?" she asked one, and then turned to the other. "And would you get Uberta?"

"Of course, your highness," they said confused but eager to please.

"Thank you. And hurry back."

Odette glared at the imposter when they left. "You can't lie to them any more than you can lie to me. If you're telling tales, we'll all know. Don't make this worse than it is."

It took a few minutes, but once Odette had everyone assembled, she was only too glad to reveal the false Derek for what he was.

"This man has something to tell you," she said.

"Derek-" Uberta started, confused by Odette's rather cold use of the words 'this man'.

"I'm not Prince Derek," the man said quickly. "I was only pretending to be him."

"Odette, is this a joke?" Rogers asked, immediately skeptical.

"No, it's not a joke," the imposter said. "My name is Dorian. I only pretended to be Prince Derek, see?"

He dropped the illusion, revealing that he was just a poor farmer.

"I only pretended to be Prince Derek to protect my family."

"From whom?" Odette demanded.

"His name is Merrick. He said he'd burn my fields if I didn't do as he said. Then he started telling me about the Forbidden Arts and how they've been hidden here. And last night, Prince Derek was out in the woods, just walking and Merrick attacked him. Then he taught me how to look like Prince Derek and made me come here in his place to look for anything Rothbart left behind. I swear, I wanted nothing to do with it, but I had to!"

"Well, where is Derek now?" Uberta demanded, looking as if she was about to slap Dorian.

"He's in Stonegate prison. Merrick is keeping him there so he can't escape."

"S-s-Stonegate?" Bromley stuttered. "I've heard of that place. No one ever escapes from there."

"This man is obviously lying," Rogers said. "Stonegate is a myth. Tell us where Derek is or you'll regret it!"

Dorian was immediately frightened. "I swear, I'm telling the truth!"

"I don't think he knows," Odette said. "He's not a liar or an evil person, just afraid. Let him go home."

"But my farm!" Dorian cried, panicked. "My family! Merrick will find out about what happened and he'll destroy everything!"

"Tell him you didn't find anything," Odette said simply. "It's the truth, isn't it?"

"Well, yes…"

Really, Odette couldn't bring herself to truly care about this man's plight. It seemed selfish, but it was true. She was only worried about Derek. Her mind was racing to figure out how to get him back.

"We'll do what we can about your farm if anything happens," Rogers said, picking up Odette's mental slack. "But you must understand that we need to find the prince."

"I understand," Dorian said, hanging his head. He turned to Odette. "I am deeply sorry, your highness. I pray you find him soon."

"Thank you," Odette said blankly.

Dorian left soon thereafter. Meanwhile, Rogers, Bromley, Uberta, and Odette discussed the best course of action in finding Derek.

"We have to find him soon," Uberta said frantically.

"Of course," Rogers said, ever the calm one. "But where should we look?"

"You heard the man. We have to find Stonegate Prison," Bromley said.

"For the last time, Bromley," Rogers groaned, "Stonegate is a myth. No one really goes there."

Bromley pouted like a small child and said nothing more.

While Uberta and Rogers discussed – and sometimes bickered – about what best to do, Odette couldn't bring herself to listen. For some reason, she was sure that Bromley was right about Derek being in Stonegate.

No one had ever really proven that it didn't exist, per say. In fact, there were several times when people had claimed to have seen it. Suddenly remembering stories she dismissed as the overactive imaginings of people who wanted to impress their peers, Odette recalled that they had said that the prison was located deep in Cordell, a distant land that few bothered to venture into. It was really nothing more than one huge forest.

Could Derek really be there?

Rogers and Uberta certainly didn't think so. Starting that night, they sent search parties all over the kingdom to find Derek. Messengers were sent to other countries to beg for help with finding the missing prince.

As expected, those searches proved fruitless as they returned the next morning to bring news and have a brief rest.

As if thinking she could do better than the soldiers who had turned the kingdom upside down to find Derek, Odette herself rode out, ignoring the advice of Uberta and Rogers, who were sure that she would be captured to if she were to leave the castle's premises.

She didn't care. It was her fault that Derek had been captured in the first place. She had driven him to anger, something not easily done, and because of that, he, hoping to avoid hurting Odette as badly as she had hurt him, went off alone to cool down.

It wasn't fair. She felt like she deserved to be the one suffering at the moment – more than she was, anyway, though she wondered if it would have mattered, since Derek would have rescued her without hesitation.

"Derek would come for me," she said to herself. "Derek would be headed to Cordell right now – no, before now. He would have been heading there the moment Dorian said Stonegate prison. So why am I still here? He's saved me without a moment's thought; shouldn't I do the same for him?"

The answer was an overwhelming 'yes'.

It didn't matter that Odette was not a fighter like Derek. It didn't matter that she would be in great danger until the moment Merrick, the man who had imprisoned Derek, was dead. All that mattered was that Derek was missing, and Odette was his best hope for returning home.

But she was going to need help, and she hoped to find it in an unlikely place.

That night, when the night was too dark to search any longer, Odette, Uberta, Rogers, and Bromley held a small council.

"No one has seen him since we argued," Odette said, summing up what every head-hanging, disappointed guard had been telling her all day. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt bad for the men, who were trying so hard to save their beloved prince and reunite him with their beloved princess, but simply couldn't find him.

She could understand how hard it was for them, to feel like they failed. In truth, she felt like she had failed him too. She failed to trust him, failed, in some ways, to even forgive him.

"We'll have them spread out more tomorrow," Rogers said. "They'll cover more ground. Hopefully, Derek isn't too far away and they'll be able to find him."

"But he is far away!" Bromley said. "He's in Stonegate."

Rogers glared at him acidly. "No, Bromley. He is not. He, unlike Stonegate, exists. He is not in Stonegate. Do you understand?"

Not even in the worst of situations had Odette ever seen Rogers speak to Bromley so harshly; but then again, she supposed, the situation at hand was far worse than any other than they have encountered, so perhaps Rogers' suddenly icy nature wasn't completely surprising.

Rogers was yet another person Odette could understand. If she didn't believe Derek was in Stonegate as Bromley did, she would probably be just as angry with him for insisting on such nonsense as Rogers was.

"Well, we can't just stand here and argue!" Uberta exclaimed, obviously on the verge of tears. "We have to save my boy!"

Since hearing that Derek was gone, Uberta was inconsolable and frantic, yet another thing Odette could understand. It took everything she had to keep herself from becoming as fragile as Uberta was, though she didn't blame her mother-in-law for acting that way.

Odette was inclined to be a little like all of the three types of people that she had encountered that day; the guards with a defeatist attitude, the frustrated Rogers, the hysterical Uberta. She wanted so badly to let loose the emotions building up inside her, to take her pain out on someone else, to sink into depression.

But she knew that if she allowed herself to do any of those three things, then she would be useless to Derek. For him, she had to stay strong, strong enough to make perhaps the most harrowing decisions of her life.

Odette waited out the rest of the discussion, more listening than speaking as Uberta and Rogers tried to come up with a plan better than searching and hoping they got lucky. It didn't take long for them to be out of workable ideas. They decided to sleep on it and pray they wouldn't be too late.

Rogers and Uberta were leaving with Bromley following behind them when Odette grabbed his sleeve, stopping him.

He whipped his head around, wondering what he was snagged on. Odette put a finger over her lips, signaling him to be silent. She waited until Rogers and Uberta had gone their own ways down the hall before closing the door.

Then, she turned her attention to the already nervous Bromley.

"Do you really think Derek is in Stonegate?" she asked.

"Well, I uh…"

"Do you?"

"Yes. I know it's just a legend, but I think that guy was telling the truth. And no one would bother to look for Derek there, it being just a story to most people. Do you believe he's there, Odette?"

"I do."

He was surprised. Usually, Odette would have shot down such an idea. He wondered why she suddenly believed something that she would have otherwise dismissed as lore.

"We have to save him," she said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"W-we?"

"Yes!" Odette exclaimed. "Please, Bromley, you have to help me. No one else will believe he's there."

"Yeah, but what can we do?"

"We can save him. Come on, Bromley, I need you to help me to help Derek. Please."

Despite his fear, Bromley agreed, being unable to say 'no' to his dearest friend's wife. Derek would certainly want to see her again. Who was he to stand in the way of such a wish?

"Okay. Don't tell anyone what we're going to do. We have to leave tonight."

"To-tonight?" he stuttered.

"Yes, tonight. We can't waste time, Bromley. Derek needs us now."

"How do you know where to go?" Bromley asked.

"My father told me that it was to the west, and I heard from one of the castle guards that it's in Cordell. If we go there, I'm sure someone knows where it is, if it's real."

"And if it's not?"

"Then… I really don't know."

If Stonegate wasn't real, then Odette would have no leads to Derek's location, and very little hope of finding him. Not only that, but she would have wasted precious time, time Derek probably didn't even have. Even now he could be dying. She shuddered to think of him like that, cold, lifeless.

She shook herself out of such gruesome thoughts. No. Derek was still alive. She had to believe that.

She couldn't let herself sink into despair the way she had previously sunk into obsession and worry. She had to stay strong. She had to steel herself against the terrible thoughts and horrible images. She was sure that Derek never allowed himself to give up on her, so she would certainly not give up on him.

She owed him that. In fact, she owed him her life.

After all the times she needed Derek, Derek needed her.


	4. The Friend in the Dark

As Bromley began to gather supplies, Odette found a map of Chamburg and its surrounding kingdoms. On it, she marked the location of a few small towns that she and Bromley could rest in without being recognized. That finished, she found a bigger map, one that included both Chamburg and Cordell and she began to chart their course.

She started at Swan Lake and finished in a town called Desta, which rested just barely in Cordell, within a few miles of the border. It was the last town on the map on Odette's side of Cordell. The only other city was on the other side of the kingdom.

There were no central capitals; only those two border cities. The middle of the country was entirely uninhabited, which meant that, should Odette and Bromley run into trouble, there would be no help for them.

Odette shivered, again feeling very alone.

Hoping to remedy that, she checked over her maps again and made sure that she had planned the route that would take the shortest amount of time.

Though she tried to narrow it down, the whole trip would take five days. Five days that Derek didn't have.

She checked the time; it wasn't very late, so she decided to make a show of going to bed. Following her lead, most of the other people in the castle did the same, save for the guards who patrolled the halls at night.

She wasn't worried about them. For the most part, they didn't ask questions, so she was free to do as she liked.

With everyone in bed, she grabbed her maps and snuck out to the lake, quickly finding Jean-Bob among the lily pads and cattails.

"Jean-Bob, wake up," she said.

"Hm? What?" he mumbled, barely lifting one eye.

"Listen, Derek's been captured and-"

"I know he's been captured, Odette," he said indignantly. "That fool Puffin has been looking for him all day."

"Is he back?"

"Yes, he's sleeping somewhere around here."

"Can you find him for me? I need to talk to him."

"Sure, sure," he groaned. "Puffin! Where are you? Odette is out here!"

Odette rolled her eyes. "I could have done that."

"Well, why didn't you?"

"Princess?" Puffin said, flying over and landing on the ground at her feet. "What are you doing out here at this hour?"

Odette knelt down so she could better speak with him. "I need a favor, Puffin."

"Anything."

"Bromley and I think that Derek is in Cordell, do you know where that is?"

"Of course. I've been there many times in my travels," he boasted. "But why do you think he's there?"

She sighed. "You're going to think this is crazy, but we think he's in Stonegate."

"And here I thought that was only a legend told by commoners," Jean-Bob said dismissively.

"No one ever proved that it doesn't exist," Odette qualified. "And my father used to tell me about it, I'll have you know."

"What was it that you wanted me to do, Odette?" Puffin asked, getting everyone back on track.

"I need you to stay here and wait for news. If you hear anything, I need you to tell me."

"Can't you get someone here to do it?" Speed asked, walking over out of the weeds.

"No one here, other than you three, knows that I'm leaving," she said. "I don't want them to stop me."

"Of course I'll bring you news," Puffin said. "What's your course?"

Odette unrolled the maps and showed him. "It should take five days to get from here to Desta, but I assume you could get there faster."

"In the air, it would take me much less time," he confirmed.

"Good. Thank you so much, Puffin."

"And we'll keep looking for Derek here," Speed said. "Won't we, Jean-Bob?"

"Of course," the little frog mumbled, falling asleep again.

Odette envied him, wishing she could dismiss the urgency of the situation as easily as he could. But she felt grateful for her three most loyal friends. She could truly depend on them.

"Thank you all so much."

XxX

With everything ready, the last thing Odette needed to do was pack a few changes of clothes. She picked the dresses that were sure not to attract attention.

Fortunately, she and Bromley had packed lightly, bringing only the bare essentials. Everything they needed would fit in their horses' saddle bags.

So, with the only light coming from the moon, they left Swan Lake, hoping to have Derek with them when they returned.

XxX

Derek looked around his tiny cell for the thousandth time that day. His survey was fruitless for the thousandth time that day; mostly because it was pitch black, with only a sliver of dim light coming from the space beneath the heavy iron door that he was locked behind.

His stomach growled. Since his capture two days before and arrival that morning, he hadn't been fed. On top of that, his body had been battered and bruised during his capture. He had put up quite a fight, but in the end, it didn't matter. He wasn't able to stop his attacker from delivering a nasty blow to the back of his head, thus knocking him unconscious.

So, along with the hunger and the sore body, he had a headache too.

And, as if that wasn't enough, he was terribly worried about Odette. Had she been captured too? And, if so, where was she? He remembered hearing shrieks of agony when he was being led into the prison. He shuttered to think that one of those voices might have been hers.

No, he had to be positive. At the very least, he had to ignore those thoughts all together.

He leaned against the wall and stared at the ceiling, too tired and hurt to do anything else.

To his right, he could hear the sound of stone scraping against stone. When he looked over, he could see that one of the bricks in the wall was suddenly missing.

Then, someone was whispering to him.

"Hey! Over here!"

Derek crawled over to where the voice, a young woman's – no, he corrected himself; it was a girl of no more than maybe fourteen or fifteen – was calling out to him. "Hello?"

"Hi. You okay in there? I haven't heard anything out of you since you got here."

"I'm fine, given the circumstances."

"Here, take this." A small, pale hand slipped through the hole in the wall. In it was a piece of stale bread.

"It's probably not what your wife makes for you, but it's better than nothing."

Derek ate it graciously, his hunger taking the edge off the bad taste. Then, feeling very rude, he turned back to the girl. "Thank you. What is you name?"

"Clio," she said, sticking her hand through the hole in the wall so Derek could shake it.

"Derek," he returned, taking her hand.

"Well, Derek, even in these squalid conditions, it's nice to have company. Where are you from?"

"Chamburg. And yourself?"

"Lincolnshire."

"I have friends there."

"I don't. I travel too much. And being stuck here doesn't widen my social circle."

"How did you get stuck here?" Derek asked, wondering if her answer might help him figure out how he'd been put in the same situation.

"Something about a bunch of stories about the Forbidden Arts… I'm not really sure. It sounds like the stuff of legends."

"I wish it was."

"Oh come on! Not you too. Well, I suppose it's not completely far fetched. When the guards told me I was in Stonegate, I almost died of shock. We're pretty lucky, though, you and I."

"How is that?" Derek asked, surprised that anyone stuck in the dark, damp cells miles away from their home and loved ones could be considered lucky.

"Well, they're keeping us alive. Whoever put us in here doesn't want us to die. I overheard them saying that they'd starve you until you talked. What did they want you to talk about?"

It took a moment for Derek to remember what Clio might have been talking about. Then, it came to him. The entire way there, as he sat in a carriage normally used for the transport of criminals, the man responsible for his capture interrogated him about the chamber where Rothbart kept his notes.

As they traveled night and day at a breakneck speed – which cut down the normal five days it would take to get to Cordell to about two – Derek was questioned.

Over and over, Derek had insisted that there was nothing left and that he'd gotten rid of everything he could find, but the man didn't believe him. He did, however, assure Derek that he would send someone to look, which immediately made Derek worry about Odette, who was now alone.

"Ironically enough," Derek said in answer to Clio, "the same thing that you were captured for."

"So they must be real."

"I'd be more than surprised if they weren't."

"Well, I should let you rest. Oh, and if you hear the guards, it's a good idea to stop talking. Just warning you."

Before Derek could say anything else, Clio replaced the brick, leaving him alone again. Although he didn't expect himself to, Derek fell asleep.

He awoke to the sound of someone yelling a few cells down.

"Don't tell them a thing!"

There were a few muted hits and a thud, and no more was said for a few moments. Then, then heavy iron door that Clio was behind swung open.

"Well, what about you?" a rough voice asked. "Are you ready to talk?"

"I don't even know what to say!" Clio exclaimed irritably. "I have no clue what it is you people want."

There was the unmistakable sound of a stiff slap being delivered to someone's face.

"You know good and well what I want."

"Well, you'll have to find your answers somewhere else," Clio said, her voice clenched in pain. "

The last was the voice of Derek's captor.

"Fine then," he went on. "If you won't talk, you can rot for all I care."

The door to Derek's cell was opened next.

"And you, Prince Derek, the man who's been living with the Arts beneath his very feet, will you talk, or will you suffer?"

"I destroyed everything," Derek said, repeating what he'd been saying since his capture. "There's nothing left of the Forbidden Arts at Swan Lake."

"I sent someone to look for them," the man said, ignoring Derek. "And he found nothing. Did you stash them away? Tell me!"

The guard hit Derek in the jaw.

"I already told you," Derek said despite his throbbing jaw bone. "I destroyed them."

"You're lying."

The guard and Derek's captor left Derek alone and continued down the hall.

When the sounds were too far away to be audible, the loose brick in the wall moved, and Derek could hear Clio.

"That's why they keep us here. They want to know about the Forbidden Arts, and when we don't tell them, they get violent. The men down the hall know something, but their not talking. I have no idea what my connection to them is and Merrick, the one who capture us, doesn't believe me, so I'm stuck here."

"They were in my castle for a while," Derek said. "Before my wife and I moved in, a sorcerer hid them in an underground chamber. I destroyed them, so there's nothing left, but Merrick is going to keep me here, I guess."

"We're going to be here for a while."

"Clio, do you think my wife is here?"

"I don't think so. She didn't come in with you. Why?"

"Because she was alone the night I was captured. It would have been easy to kidnap her as well."

"Merrick was probably trying to save himself some money. He's paying to keep us in here. Anyone who wants to lock an enemy up can pay to have them put in here. The client can either keep us alive, like Merrick is doing, or have us killed, like Merrick will probably do when he realizes that we're telling the truth. Either way, we're in a tight spot."

Derek was about to say something when he heard footsteps.

"More guards," Clio said. "Goodbye."

Once again, she replaced the brick.

It was of some comfort to Derek that Odette was not in that horrible prison. At least she wasn't suffering with him. He hoped that she wouldn't try to save him. It was far too dangerous, and she risked capture herself.

Somewhere in Chamburg's countryside, Odette was thinking of the very same risks that Derek was listing in his own mind.

Her best bet was to stay away, and though she knew that, she simply wouldn't.


	5. The Chase

*As Odette and Bromley trekked across the kingdom, Odette found herself worrying more and more about Derek with each passing moment, which made her more determined to reach him soon. There were days when she drove herself, Bromley, and the horses to exhaustion and still continued on.

One night, as she lay awake at an anonymous little inn in Lincolnshire, the first country she would have to cross before she reached Cordell, she wondered if she would ever see Derek again. She wondered if she was wasting her time. She dreaded the thought that she might be too late or going to the wrong place entirely.

She couldn't stop the tears of guilt and exhaustion, both mental and physical. By day, it took one hundred percent of her ability to keep her emotions in check and put on a brave face for Bromley, who had no qualms about letting Odette know how scared he was.

She couldn't help think about the argument she and Derek had the night he was captured. If she hadn't been mistrustful of him, he might have been spared that night. She hated herself for the way she belittled his word.

It wasn't that she didn't believe him or even that she was still angry with him for not getting rid of everything the first time; she was afraid. She couldn't bear the thought of another madman tearing them apart. It was ironic. Even with everything and everyone regarding the Forbidden Arts destroyed or dead, respectively, there was still danger to be found and to find them.

All in all, it really didn't matter what Odette and Derek did, the Forbidden Arts and those who wielded them would always come back. And though she would always be wary of them, Odette realized that living in fear of them would not be living at all.

She wished she would have realized that sooner.

XxX

When she awoke the next morning, the sun had not yet risen. That was fine for Odette. The sooner she and Bromley were on their way, the sooner she would find Derek. Her other concern was putting distance between her and Swan Lake. She felt like a runaway child who had no intention of letting her parents bring her home without a fight.

She got up, dressed, and left the room. As she passed by Bromley's, she knocked on the door loudly enough for him to wake up.

"It's time to go, Bromley."

Bromley tumbled out of bed and hastily got dressed, trying to keep up with Odette. When he opened the door, she was already downstairs, on the main floor of the inn.

"It's so early, Odette," he complained when he found her sitting down, waiting for breakfast.

"I know, Bromley, but we can't afford to waste time… and neither can Derek," she added quietly.

Bromley felt very sorry for his best friend's wife. Though he had never been in love, he understood, just by the look on Odette's face, the pain she was in. He'd seen Derek amble about the castle with the same look on his face when he'd found out that Odette was gone after Rothbart's attack on her and her father.

Though Derek and Odette shared the same depression, they also shared the same determination. It didn't take either one of them long to decide that they were going to save their other half.

Bromley admired them for that. He wished he had so much courage, though he did. Derek and Odette agreed that Bromley was one of the bravest people they knew, simply because he wasn't afraid to show fear, nor did he allow it to overcome him when the moment really mattered.

Odette was grateful to him. When no one else would have even entertained the notion of Derek being in Stonegate, let alone following her there, Bromley did, though his was chastised for being so childish by Rogers.

After she and Bromley finished eating, they saddled up and were off again immediately, freshly determined to save Derek.

Though there were many miles between them still, Odette felt like she was making great strides in getting closer to Derek. There was something in her that morning that was driving her and giving her hope, like a flame that could not be snuffed out.

It made her curious. Had Derek ever felt this way? Had he felt such inexhaustible hope?

It made her wonder enough to ask Bromley.

"Bromley, what was Derek like when I was with Rothbart?" she asked.

"You were all he could think about," Bromley replied. "At first, he was depressed. There was nothing anyone could do with him; he wouldn't even speak to us when we asked if he needed anything. But I never saw him cry.

"Then, one day, it was like he woke up out of a coma. He was suddenly fixated on you. He simply couldn't believe that you were dead, and if any of us mentioned the possibility around him, he would get so angry that we didn't dare say it again. He didn't care what the rest of the kingdom believed, he knew you were alive somewhere, and he was determined to find you.

"You're alike, in that way, you know," he mused.

"High praise, indeed."

"We'll find him, Odette," Bromley said solemnly.

Odette smiled. "I know."

XxX

As he sat alone in his cell, Derek suddenly felt a spark of something he hadn't felt in a long time: hope. It was like he knew he would be saved, but couldn't understand what he knew or why he knew it.

He smiled for the first time in days.

His newfound hope didn't make him forget his surroundings, or his loneliness. It was simply too quiet in his cell, and the darkness was depressing. He needed to talk to someone, anyone, if only for the sound.

He moved over to the wall where the loose brick was and moved it, listening for footsteps before he spoke.

"Clio? Are you busy?"

Clio laughed. "Doing what? Counting bricks?"

"I didn't mean to ask like that," he chuckled.

"Well, in any case, I'm up for a chat. Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Nothing in particular. I was tired of the silence, though."

"I don't blame you. The last person in your cell somehow managed to sneak in a pen knife and he used it to cut out the brick. We talked all the time until he was let go."

"He got out alive?"

"Yeah. The guy who stuck him in here couldn't afford to keep him anymore, so the lovely management of Stonegate decided to cut him loose."

"He's lucky."

"Yes, he is. When you think about it, Stonegate is one big, torturous bank."

"But that's where the similarities end."

"Pretty much."

"Clio, how long have you been here."

"Let's see… about fifteen months, maybe more. Who knows?"

"More than a year? How have you been getting on?"

"Well, the man who was here last kept me from going completely insane. It was only a couple of weeks between the time he left and when you arrived."

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

Derek was surprised, to say the least. How could anyone be so cruel as to look up a fifteen-year-old in a dark, miserable prison cell? It was unnatural. If it had been done to him at fifteen, he could have broken down the wall using his pent-up energy.

"What about your parents? Where are they?"

"Home, I guess. I was kidnapped, so they probably looked for me. I'd be willing to bet they didn't think to look here."

"And they were involved with the Forbidden Arts?"

"My father drove a few sorcerers who used them out of Lincolnshire. Merrick thinks I know something about where those sorcerers might be, so he's been questioning me, rather than manning up and talking to my father."

"So why did he attack me and not Odette?" Derek wondered aloud, though he was certainly grateful that Odette was safe. Then he realized something: when he was captured, his mind wasn't clear. He was distracted by how angry he was. He was an easy target.

"Who's Odette?" Clio asked, breaking his thoughts.

"My wife," Derek replied.

"You must miss her a lot."

"I do. More than anything."

"Tell me about her."

"Why?"

"Because there is nothing better to do and I'm tired of only hearing about Merrick, you, and me. Now spill."

He laughed. He had to agree; he and his young friend were in a pretty closed world. So he told her all about Odette, all the funny stories, about the tough times, and how they'd been brought back together.

"That's quite a story, Derek," Clio said.

"I know. And now that I've had time to think about it, I understand why Odette was upset with me. I shouldn't be surprised that she doubted me."

"I bet she was more scared than she wanted to admit. She's pretty brave; probably more than a lot of people give her credit for."

"Including myself, I suppose," Derek admitted.

There was a moment of silence, broken when Clio snapped, as she realized something. "Wait a minute. Derek? Odette? You're Prince Derek of Chamburg, aren't you?"

"Well, yes," Derek said.

"And you couldn't have told me, your majesty?" she asked.

He laughed. "In here, I don't think it matters."

"True. But you could have said something."

"I'm sorry."

She laughed. "It's fine. It's dark in here, so it's hard not to get star struck."

XxX

Uberta was panicked, that was certain. Rogers watched as she paced the floor.

"Where is she? First Derek and now Odette?"

"Come to think of it," Rogers said, "Bromley hasn't been seen either… you don't think?"

"They went off together… They went to that prison – what was it called? – Oh, Stonegate. After we expressly told them that Derek couldn't possibly be there!"

Rogers smiled inwardly. "They're not children, Uberta."

"They're acting like it, believing in silly fairytales."

"Then again, we were saying the same things about Derek when he insisted that Odette was still alive after Rothbart attacked her and her father."

"Do you think that Odette and Bromley might be right, Rogers?"

"I think Odette has good instincts about these things, and Bromley is the only one who would believe her."

Uberta gasped. "Are you saying that I wouldn't believe her if she said she believed Derek was in Stonegate."

"I think you'd have her checked into the infirmary for a bad fever."

Uberta glared at him. "And you would have believed her?"

"Probably not," he admitted. "But we're just a couple of skeptical old fools."

"I'll admit 'skeptical' and 'fool' Rogers, but you're the only old one here."

He smirked, but dropped it. "So, what do you want to do about Odette and Bromley?"

"Knowing Odette, she's probably taking a route that will make it very difficult to find her. On top of that, it's been so long since I've heard any of those ridiculous stories that I have no idea where Stonegate is."

"Neither do I."

Uberta sighed. "We can't just send the guards on a wild goose chase."

"More like a wild _swan_ chase," Rogers muttered.


	6. The Guide

It seemed Odette's determination to get to Derek as soon as possible paid off. She and Bromley arrived in Cordell a day early. It was night, though, and it was time to stop for a rest.

They went into a dark little inn, where the sounds of people drowning their pain in liquor could be heard the moment they stepped in.

Odette went to the bar keeper.

"Something I can get for you, miss?" he asked politely.

"No, thank you. But I was wondering if you might know where Stonegate prison is."

He chuckled. "Another one, eh? Well, it's deep in the woods; so far that few dare go into it to try to find the old dungeon."

"Is there anyone who can take me there?"

"Only one person."

"Hey!" someone yelled from down the bar. "Horace! Get me some more ale, would you?"

"And that would be him. Excuse me for a moment."

Odette waited a moment for the barkeep to return. "You can't be serious."

"I am, unfortunately. He's the only man around here brave – or fool – enough to bring people to the other side of Cordell. He should be able to get you to Stonegate if you pay him enough."

Odette sighed. "Looks like I don't have much of a choice. Come on Bromley. Let's talk to the kind gentleman."

"His name's Durand, and, fortunately for you, he's not a mean drunk."

Odette nodded and walked over to him.

"Excuse me?"

"Yes? Can I help you?" he asked in a brusque voice.

"I was wondering if um…" she was suddenly very nervous, thinking of how silly her request was.

"You were wondering if I'd take you to Stonegate, weren't you?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"I'm psychic… No, I heard you talking down the bar."

Odette fought the urge to roll her eyes and walk away. "Right. Well, will you help us?"

"Well, let's start with names, if you don't mind. My name is Durand."

Odette groaned a little. "I'm Odette and this is Bromley. Now, if you'll just-"

"Now wait. Why should I help you?"

"Because I'll pay you well," Odette said through clenched teeth.

"We'll see about that."

"Are you implying that I'm a liar?"

"Not at all. But I'm wondering why your husband is letting you spend his money this way. Bromley?"

"He's _not_ my husband," Odette said quickly, growing more annoyed.

"Then why's he trailing behind you?"

"Because I've come from a land that's very far away, and I couldn't go alone. Now, will you please help me?"

"Alright, alright, but I'll be honest," Durand said looking her and Bromley over, "neither one of you look like your up to the task. I mean really. Seeing you two traipse through the forest trying to find something that only a lucky few – or perhaps not so lucky – have ever seen and lived to tell the tale."

Odette grimaced. "I didn't come this far to give up and go home."

Durand smirked. "Well, you've got spunk. That counts for you."

He turned to Bromley. "What about you, friend? You want to try and find Stonegate prison?"

"Well, I uh… I…" Bromley could hardly stutter out an answer.

Odette cupped her face in her hand for a moment, embarrassed for him.

Durand laughed and turned his attention back to Odette. "Well, he's _definitely_ not up for the task. That also counts for you, and it makes my decision easier."

Odette looked at him quizzically. "Your decision?"

"Well, I can only take one of you through the woods," he said. "I can't look after both of you. You, madam, with all due respect, look like you attract a fair amount of trouble – and I'm not saying that it's your fault – and this fellow here," he looked pointedly at Bromley then paused. "Well, he'd probably die."

Odette choked on her own breath. "That's harsh."

"I don't lie for the sake of people's feelings. Now, do you want me to take you or not?"

She sighed and turned to Bromley. "It looks like I don't have much of a choice. I'm going."

Though he didn't want to sound like it, Bromley was greatly relieved that he didn't have to rescue Derek, though they were friends. He simply wasn't cut out to be a hero. "Well, uh… what should I do?"

"Go home," Odette said, ignoring Bromley's sigh of relief. "And tell them that Derek and I will be back as soon as we can."

"Well, we're not leaving today," Durand said. "It's too late. We'll go early tomorrow so we can get through the toughest part of the woods before nightfall tomorrow."

Odette nodded. "Fine. But we have to leave here as soon as possible."

"Right, right. Whatever you want," Durand said dismissively. "There is one more thing… my fee."

"I'll pay whatever you want," Odette said. "Money's not an issue."

"Well, wait until I get you there and back. You can pay then."

"Fair enough. I'm going to rent a room. We'll leave early tomorrow. Goodnight, Durand."

"Goodnight."

Bromley followed Odette to the innkeeper's desk. "Uh… Odette? Are you sure it's a good idea to trust that guy so much?"

"I don't have mush of a choice, Bromley. If I have any chance of saving Derek, I have to go with Durand."

"But how do you know it's not a trap?"

"I don't. But even a bad plan seems better than no plan right now."

"Derek would be awfully upset if-"

"Derek's not here," she interrupted. "And I have to bring him home. He'd do the same for me."

Bromley knew he'd just lost the argument. "I'm going back to Swan Lake now. I'll bring them the news."

"Bromley, please don't tell them where I am. They'll worry, and they might send someone to try and stop me. I can't let them do that."

"Alright," Bromley agreed, though it seemed against his better judgment. "Goodbye, Odette. And good luck."

Odette watched him go, a little saddened. The only person that she could trust, even if she couldn't totally depend on him, was leaving. She felt very alone.

She sighed, shaking it off. She rented a room for the night, though she didn't sleep. She was alone and far away from home, making even a light doze difficult to fall into. Somehow, though, she managed to wake up bright and early the next day, ready for her journey.

She made her way downstairs and looked around for Durand. Not surprisingly, he wasn't there.

"Well, it is pretty early," she thought. "Maybe I'll wait."

And so she waited. And waited. And waited.

Finally, she was sick of waiting. She walked up to the barkeep and asked him which room Durand was staying in.

"No need for all that, lass," Durand called as he descended the stairs. "I'm up."

"It took you long enough," Odette muttered,

"Give a man to rest, woman! Good Lord…"

"And sleep off the hangover?"

"Shows what you know. I wasn't even drunk."

"Right. Well, let's go."

"Not without breakfast."

Odette suppressed a groan, suddenly wishing Bromley was still around, just so she would have someone to be a counterweight to Durand's pomposity. "Fine."

"Just to prove I wasn't drunk," Durand laughed.

Odette sighed and sat down. Durand ordered more food that she could have eaten in two days, let alone one meal.

Somehow, he managed to eat it quickly. Much to Odette's relief, he wasn't a complete pig about it either.

"Alright. _Now_ we can go."

Odette stood up. "Let's do."

"Alright, I'll pay for my meal, and you'll get the horses."

"Fine."

"Good. Mine's the black one at the back of the stable. And mind you don't spook him too much."

Odette was immediately irritated. She certainly didn't like being ordered around by Durand, but because she needed his help, she didn't say anything. She did as she was told, not surprised to see that startling Durand's horse would take a dragon, not some worried woman.

She brought the horses around to the front of the inn, where Durand was waiting.

"Alright, let's get going," he said as he mounted up. "Fortunately for you, there's enough food left from my last trip for a trip to Stonegate and back."

"You know where Stonegate is, right?" she asked as he began to ride ahead.

"Well, I know where Stonegate _isn't_."

Odette road up beside him and stared at him. "What?"

"I said I know where Stonegate _isn't_."

"I heard you," Odette said, irritated.

Durand laughed. "Relax, lass. I'll get you to Stonegate, though I can't for the life of me figure out what you want to go there for. Your husband didn't seem to keen on your going, anyway."

"I told you, that was not my husband."

"Then where is your husband?"

"How do you even know I'm married?"

"Who would leave a rose like you to wilt?"

Odette blushed a little and said nothing, flattered and embarrassed at the same time.

"And I saw your ring," Durand added.

Odette rolled her eyes.

"But I meant what I said about the rose thing, I promise. Anyway, where is your husband?"

"He's in Stonegate."

"So you think you can just waltz into Stonegate and get your husband out, willy-nilly? Wow, you really do have spunk."

"Well, it's easier said than done, but yes; that is the gist of what I'm going to do."

"And I suppose you want me to help you?"

"I never said I did."

"Well, I will. Because it's the right thing to do."

Odette saw Durand in a new light. "You don't seem like the type who would be too concerned with the right thing to do."

"Well, I was taught by my dear old mother that helping women is one of the noblest things I could do. And I figure that if she happens to be royalty, I'd really better help her."

"You've helped royalty?"

"I am now."

Odette gasped a little. "How could you tell?"

"Well, not including the fact that you just admitted it, I list my reasoning; first, the way you stand. You don't slouch, you don't hang your head; you stand straight up and face the world. Secondly, you came all the way to Cordell with an escort – not much of an escort, mind you, but an escort all the same. Most women around here roam about freely because they've worked on farms all their lives. They're tough. Third, your horse doesn't look like it's been pulling farm wagons all its life. Lastly, your hands."

"My hands?"

He took one. "They're smooth and soft; no dirt under the fingernails, no scars, no wrinkles, no nothing. That's how I can tell."

He let go of her hand and smirked, proud of himself. "I'm more perceptive than I let on."

"I noticed."

"So, if you don't mind my prying, why exactly is your poor husband locked up in Stonegate?"

"I don't even know. We argued one night, and he went out for a walk to cool off. The next morning, someone was disguised as him, and he said that Derek, my husband, had been taken to Stonegate."

"So you're chasing after him?"

"Yes."

Durand laughed. "That's one hell of a story."

"I know."

"You must love this man more than you love life."

Odette smiled a little. "I do."

"It's pretty obvious. Most women wouldn't even bother going after their husbands. A lot of them would just say he's dead, spend all his money, and marry again."

"And most women are like that," Odette said sarcastically.

"Well, most men cheat… mostly because they know their wives' true nature. Actually, strike that. Most women hate their husbands because they cheat for no reason."

"Derek's not like that."

"I know. That's probably why you're going out of your way to save the poor fella."

"He's saved me before."

"Argh! Not a love story! Keep it to yourself, lass, I don't want to hear about magic spells and vows of eternal love and all that nonsense."

She laughed a little. "I suppose it would sound silly if I told you."

"Well, it probably wouldn't be the strangest thing I've heard, but save it anyway. We might get bored later."

XxX

They rode on until the sun set.

Durand stopped and dismounted. "We should stop. I don't like moving around in these woods at night."

"Too many wild animals?"

"Well some people say that the forest is haunted… but it's nonsense. Superstitious nonsense."

"Then why are we stopping?"

"Because at night, I like to sleep."

"Do you always make everything you say sound so cryptic?"

"Because it gets your mind off your troubles. Even I don't like to see a woman sad."

Odette smiled. "Well, thank you."

"Don't mention it… to anyone. Ever. I have a reputation I'll have you know, and you are ruining it."

"I apologize."

"Your bloody right you apologize! I will be so glad to see you off with your husband so I don't have to put up with you."

Odette couldn't stop herself from laughing. It took her a few moments to get control of herself.

"Thank you so much, Durand."

"It's nothing. You'll have your husband back before you know it."

"You're very confident."

He chuckled.

"Well, you're too stubborn to have it any other way."


	7. The Opportunity Taken

It didn't take long for Odette to fall asleep that night, given how absolutely exhausted she was. It took even less time for her to snap awake when she heard something screech in the darkness.

Durand was already awake when she sat up.

"What's wrong, lass?"

She looked around. "I heard something in the woods. Didn't you?"

"I did… Some say it's the sound a soul makes when it leaves this world and goes to the next… I'm fairly sure that's not it."

"Then what was it?"

"It was an owl, nothing more. You may as well stay awake. The sun's about to be up and we need to get a move on."

Odette sighed, wishing she could sleep for just a bit longer before remembering that Derek was still in danger. So, after a quick breakfast, she and Durand were off.

"So," Durand started as they began their ride, "are you going to tell me where you're from?"

"I'm from Chamburg."

"And you're the princess, I'm assuming."

"You're right."

"You don't act like it. You're much less… annoying than most princesses."

"You know other princesses?" Odette asked skeptically.

"In my younger days, I did a lot of travelling and meeting ladies, and some of those alleged ladies were princesses."

She laughed. "Some of them are galling at times. I'm glad you don't think that of me."

"It counts for you."

It was quiet for a while before Odette spoke.

"I wish I hadn't started that fight with my husband. I was so angry with him for not understanding my feelings, and I hurt him. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't be in Stonegate, and I wouldn't be dragging you into this."

"I don't mind, lass. It's better than wasting my life guiding travelers from one end of this overgrown forest we call a country to the other. What were you fighting about, if you don't mind my asking?"

Odette explained the argument. "I should have trusted him. I should have believed him when he said that he'd gotten rid of everything. But he acted so carefree about it that I was angry with him for it."

"Maybe he was trying to protect you."

"I don't understand."

"Maybe there's more to this life than you could ever want to know," Durand said. "Maybe that's what your husband was trying to shield you from. It's a heavy burden to protect someone, and I'd be willing to wager that your husband is worried for your safety every waking moment. He was probably more worried than he let on, but he wasn't going to upset you by letting you know it."

Odette nodded in understanding, realizing that Durand was probably right. "It doesn't matter now. I have to save him."

"A woman goes to lands far away to find a prison that no one thinks is real to save her husband," Durand mused. "A novel idea."

"How so?"

"Most princesses would send someone to rescue him, that is, if they wanted to rescue him at all. You, however, are very hands-on."

"I'm not doing this just to prove that I can do it, I'm doing it because I love him"

"Another novel idea. Most princesses don't love their husbands as you love yours"

Odette smiled. "We're quite different from your average royals."

XxX

Derek woke up to the sounds of doors creaking open. When he focused, he determined that Clio's cell had been opened.

"I told you, I don't know anything," she said.

Whack!

"I think you do. Tell me!" another voice bellowed.

"I don't know."

Whack!

"Wouldn't I have told you already?" Clio asked.

There was no sound for a moment.

Then, Merrick began to speak. "I can't afford to keep her here any longer."

"You want us to get rid of her?" Clio's assailant asked.

"Why bother? She's miles away from home. She'll never make it back. Even if she does, who's going to believe where she's been?"

"So we're letting her go."

"Yes. It's your lucky day, girl. You, lead her out. You, come with me. We'll ask the prince if he knows anything."

A few seconds later, Derek's cell door swung open, and in walked Merrick and two prison guards.

"Ready to talk?" Merrick asked.

"About what?" Derek growled.

"You know what. Where are the notes on the Forbidden Arts?"

"I burned the notes months ago. You're too late."

Derek's next sensation felt was that of being hit in the face.

Merrick scowled at him. "No you didn't. You're hiding them. Where are they?"

"They're ashes," Derek insisted. "Nothing more."

One of the guards stood Derek up while another hit him in the stomach.

"Liar!"

The interrogation went on nearly all day. Every perceived wrong answer Derek gave earned him another blow. Derek knew that he'd never get out of Stonegate alive if things kept going the way they were, but he was at least thankful that Odette was not imprisoned there and that Clio was released. Those two things seemed to be his mind's sanctuary as he endured the tortures of that day.

XxX

A few hours after they had first started riding that morning, Durand and Odette caught a glimpse of Stonegate's walls in the distance. In an hour, they would be there.

Then, they saw something else; something disturbing.

It was the silhouette of a girl walking toward them. It was eerie, the way she emerged from the woods. Odette wondered if she might have been a mirage.

"Hey, lass!" Durand called. "Are you alright?"

He closed the distance and dismounted, with Odette behind him.

"Where did you come from?" he asked. "No lass your age should be walking around in the woods alone!"

"You'll never believe me," she said.

"Try me," Durand said.

"Stonegate."

"That's where we're headed," Odette said.

"Why?"

"My husband is there. I have to get him out."

"You! You're Odette, I'm sure of it!"

Odette's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"Because Derek's cell was right next to mine. He told me an awful lot about you. So I figured, if you loved him as much as he loves you, you must be coming to save him. And here you are."

"You met Derek? Is he alright?"

"He's fine for now. But if Merrick doesn't get his hands on the Forbidden Arts, I don't know what he'll do."

"How did you escape?" Durand asked.

"Merrick had to let me go. I was too expensive for him to keep any longer."

"I can't believe he just let you go."

"I'm so far away from home that he thinks I won't make it back in one piece. Listen, do you need help getting Derek out? I'd be glad to lend a hand."

"No," Durand said.

"And why not?"

"I don't even know your name."

"It's Clio."

"I'm Durand. You're still not going."

"Why?"

"Because it's too dangerous. This is a two-person job and you need to head home."

Odette nodded. "He's right. I won't let you be imprisoned again on my account."

"Alright, then. But listen to me, Stonegate is known for its heavy doors. It's rumored that they're impossible to break down. Since you don't seem to have the equipment to test that rumor, I'll tell you something; there is a back way to get in. You can sneak right up to it on the north side. There's only one guard, and he has the keys to the door. That door will lead you right up to the cells Derek and I were in."

Durand smiled gratefully. "That makes my job much easier. Thank you, lass."

"No trouble."

Odette searched in her horse's saddlebags and found a handful of gold coins. She gave them to Clio. "There's an inn down this road. It's far away, so it'll take you some time to get there, and you probably won't make it before tonight. But I want you to get a good night's rest there, on me."

"I don't want your money," Clio said, handing them back.

Odette gently pushed her hand away. "You've just helped me more than you'll ever know. I want to repay you somehow."

Clio was just about to reply when Durand cut her off. "It's time to go, Odette."

"You'll never make it on horse," Clio warned them. "The roads are too rough on their legs."

"Then take them to the stables at that inn she was telling you about," Durand said, handing her the reins. "And do me a favor and see to it that they get something to eat."

Clio nodded. "Alright, then. Good luck."

"Thank you," Odette said.

Durand nodded his thanks. "Goodbye, lass."

Clio mounted up and watched them go. As they disappeared down the road, she felt that there was more she could do for them than to worry about their horses.

So, rather than go slowly to the inn, she rode Durand's horse at full gallop and led Odette's mare by the reins beside her.

Though she did not know what she was going to do, she knew that there was no way she could let Odette and Durand try to save Derek on their own. She was sure they'd need help. But first, she would do as she was asked, sans resting at the inn.

XxX

Derek was finally alone in his cell. Everything hurt, but the most pain was in his left leg. He was fairly certain that the bone wasn't broken, but there was something definitely more wrong with it than a few bruises.

Merrick himself supervised Derek's inquisition, convinced that Derek was lying. Somewhere in the middle of it, he finally revealed his motives.

Merrick had been apprenticed by some wizard in a land Derek never heard of. The wizard was a kindly old fellow, so when he saw the evil in Merrick's heart, he dismissed the young man.

Merrick then got his hands on texts about the Forbidden Arts. He was intrigued by them, learning what he could from the information he could find. Then, he heard about Swan Lake, and Rothbart and Zelda's history with it. He was sure the notes and other artifacts regarding the dark arts were still there, thus he captured Derek and asked.

And when Derek didn't answer in words he wanted to hear, Merrick's rage became more out of control. He hit Derek in the chest with a fireball, and though it didn't hurt as badly as the ones Clavius threw at him in the mountain, it was still painful.

So when Merrick finally gave up for the day, Derek was left alone in the dark again, unable to check his wounds.

He missed Odette very much. He thought about how she worried about him after his fights with Rothbart and Clavius. She was so watchful over him that he could scarcely breathe without her knowledge.

The thought made him smile. They'd both been angry when he was captured, but he still loved her and he knew she still loved him. After everything they'd been through together, it was impossible, unthinkable to not forgive her, especially when he remembered all the things she'd forgiven him for.

He wondered if he would ever be blessed enough to see her again. He pictured her smiling face; the way her blonde hair fell around it, the glint in her eyes, the curve of her lips, and the shape of her chin. He remembered everything with such clarity that he knew that as long as he lived, he'd never love anyone as he loved her, and not even death would change that.

Exhausted, he leaned against the wall and fell asleep smiling, dreaming of his beloved Odette.

XxX

Odette and Durand reached the woods that were in front of the back door of Stonegate prison. From where they stood in the underbrush, they could see the lone guard at the door.

"Wait here," Durand said. "I'll take care of him."

Odette watched as her guide snuck around to the right. He emerged from the woods at the guard's side.

Durand knocked the man to the ground and stole the keys off his belt.

"Guards, guards!" the young soldier yelled.

Durand hit the man on the cheek. "Shut up, you squalling fool, before I knock you so hard in that loud of yours that you swear your jaw's falling off! Now, are these the keys that'll get us in?"

"Y-yes," the guard stuttered.

"And they'll open the cells?"

"Yes!"

"Good, good. I thank you for your services, sir."

Durand knocked the man unconscious and took the sword from his belt. "I'll just be borrowing this. I'm sure you won't mind. Come on, Odette."

Odette came forward, excited and nervous as Durand opened the door.

It was very dark when they entered, but there was hardly any noise, so when someone ran down the hall, Odette and Durand could hear it perfectly.

"We don't have much time," Durand said, handing Odette the keys. "Let's find Derek and get out of here."

"Derek?" Odette called. "Derek, where are you?"

Derek awoke from his slumber, but was sure he was still dreaming when he heard Odette's angelic voice.

"Derek?"

"Odette?" he returned, realizing that he wasn't dreaming.

His voice was very weak. Odette could hardly hear it, even in the silence of the prison.

"Derek! Keep calling, Derek!"

He did so. She followed his voice to on of the cells and opened it. There was Derek, looking up at her through exhausted eyes. He smiled weakly, but it faded quickly.

"Odette, you shouldn't have come. You're in danger."

"I know, Derek, but I couldn't let anything happen to you. This was my fault."

"Hey," Durand said, "enough with the sappy stuff. Let's get out of here."

"Right," Odette agreed.

"Odette, they hurt my leg," Derek said. "I don't know how fast I can move right now."

Odette helped him up. "I'll help you get out of here, Derek. Don't worry."

From a distance, there were sounds of footsteps, several of them.

"Oh, just wonderful!" Durand said sarcastically. "You two get out of here, I'll hold of that horde for you."

Odette slung one of Derek's arms around her shoulder and held him around his ribs. Though he tried not to weigh her down too much, Derek had to lean on her for support.

"What about you?" Odette asked.

"Forget about me. If you waste any more time, you'll miss your chance to escape. Go!"

Odette caught a glimpse of the first of many guards that were rushing toward them. Her heart lurched. She was about to leave Durand, and there was a good possibility that he would not make it.

"Lass, if you escape now, I will have lived a full life. So, for me, leave."

Odette nodded eternally grateful for the chance Durand was giving her no choice but to take. "Thank you, Durand. For everything."

"It'll be for nothing if you get caught. Go!"

Odette needed no more bidding. She helped Derek out of the prison, trying to avoid looking behind her as she heard the sounds of Durand fight off an impossible amount of guards.

She said a silent prayer for him as she and Derek escaped into the woods, though she knew no prayer would save him.


	8. The Farmer

Odette ran with Derek's arm around her shoulder as he struggled to keep up for what seemed like forever. She was scared to death of what would happen if they were caught, and very worried about Derek.

He was hurt badly. Every step they took brought him more agony.

"Come on, Derek, just a bit further," she panted. "We can make it."

He simply grunted in reply, too focused on not falling.

Finally, Odette couldn't run anymore. Derek was becoming too heavy and he couldn't lift his legs anymore. He was too injured and exhausted to go any further.

So, she stopped in a clearing. The grass was tall and the sudden wind blew through it, rustling it so that it made the most gentle of sounds. She leaned Derek up against a tree, where he felt immediately at ease, too tired to care about the bark that irritated the back of his neck.

Odette sat beside him, glad for the chance to rest.

For a moment, the world was quiet.

But only a moment. Odette's guilt was simply too great to leave alone that night. She had to apologize.

"Derek?"

"Yes, Odette?"

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. This wasn't your fault."

"Yes it is. If I hadn't badgered you that night, you wouldn't have been brought here and you wouldn't have been hurt. This is my fault."

He smiled a little, trying to reassure her. "Odette, this would have happened anyway. Merrick would have found a way to kidnap one of us and interrogate us the way he interrogated me. I'm just glad that it was me for once and not you."

She didn't rely for a moment. She brought her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. She felt, not because she was outside, but because she was sad. She felt she would never forgive herself. Her anger came at a high cost; she lost a great friend in Durand, and she may have cost Derek his ability to walk.

"Come here, Odette," he said as he wrapped his arm around her and gently drew her closer to him. "Rest, love. It won't do you any good to stay awake and be angry with yourself. Trust me; I've been there."

"I just don't understand how you can be so forgiving."

"You didn't mean for this to happen, Odette. I know that. I'm not going to be angry with you for something you had no control over. I will, however, be angry with you if you don't get some sleep."

She smiled a little and carefully rested her head against his chest. In turn, Derek laid his head in her hair, committing the scent to memory.

Being out at night in the woods reminded Odette of her time at Swan Lake, when she had to learn to get used to all the sounds of the night. That night, however, was better. She had Derek. So it was easy for her to fall into a well-deserved slumber.

XxX

"They have been gone for far too long," Uberta said as she looked out the window. "Where on Earth could they be?"

Rogers was just about to speak when the door opened. For a second, he and Uberta had gotten their hopes up and thought it was Odette and Derek. However, it was only Bromley.

Rogers was quick to start asking questions. "Bromley! Where in God's name have you been?"

"I was with Odette," he explained.

"And you came back alone?" Uberta asked. "Where is Odette?"

"In Cordell."

Uberta glared at him a moment before lashing out at him. "What on Earth would she be doing there and why did you come back without her?"

"She sent me back. I didn't have a choice."

Just before Uberta yelled at Bromley again, Rogers cut in. "Explain from the beginning, Bromley. What happened?"

"Well, there was this man, and he said he could take one of us to Stonegate prison, but the other one of us would have to stay behind. So Odette told me to go home and tell you that she'll be back with Derek soon."

It was Rogers' turn to yell. "You left her alone in a strange country? What were you thinking?"

"I didn't have a choice!" Bromley yelled back, angry that Rogers would think him so irresponsible as to leave Odette alone without a plan. She knew what she was doing. Just because hardly anyone else was ever confident in her, it didn't mean that he was going to think her incompetent as everyone else seemed to.

For once, Bromley was truly angry, and he was going to let Rogers know about it. "I am so sick of being treated like a useless oaf around here, and I'm sure Odette's tired of being the damsel in distress all the time. You think you're right all the time Rogers, but you never take risks when it counts. You never test your theories.

"You said that Odette was dead when Rothbart attacked her. She's alive, Rogers. You made Derek work way too hard in the beginning of their marriage and it nearly cost Odette her humanity. You let Derek keep Rothbart's notes a secret. We all know what happened with that. You said Stonegate wasn't real - and guess what, old man; it's real.

"For all the times you've told Derek, Odette, and me that we've been wrong, it seems that _you're_ the one who's been mistaken."

Rogers stood quietly for a minute, slack-jawed as he stared at Bromley, who'd never had such an outburst before.

Bromley himself was taken by surprise, and he nearly apologized for being so explosive, but he decided not to.

"Now, are we going to help Odette and Derek, or are we going to keep arguing?"

XxX

Meanwhile, Clio couldn't shake the feeling that she shouldn't have left Odette and Durand alone to save Derek themselves. So she left Odette's horse at the inn's stable and rode back on Durand's charger.

It didn't take her long to reach the halfway point to Stonegate. It was there that she saw someone go into the woods.

Sure that it was Merrick, she dismounted and followed him, promising that she'd return Durand's horse as soon as she could and hoping that she'd be able to find it later.

She slipped into the woods, careful not to step on anything that would make too much noise.

However, Merrick must not have been worried about being followed, because no sound Clio made alerted him to the possibility.

He came upon a clearing and saw Odette and Derek sleeping, easy targets. Just as he moved forward to collect his quarry, he stepped on a twig and the snap was loud enough to wake Odette, who was a light sleeper, especially when she was worried about being captured by a madman.

As Merrick cursed his clumsiness, Odette stood up, wide-eyed as Merrick approached.

He had a smirk on his face, proud of himself for finding them, having decided to act like he didn't mess up by waking them. To him, it wasn't as if they were any more of a threat awake anyway.

His point was illustrated for him when Derek tried to stand on his own, but found he couldn't when he nearly fell. Odette caught him and wrapped his arm securely around her shoulder, supporting him as she tried to figure out what to do.

Running was out. Derek wasn't strong enough, and she was simply too tired from the last time. She had no means to fight Merrick, though. There was nothing she could do.

Then, she saw something moving in the woods.

It was Clio.

Odette watched as the girl bent down and picked up a stone.

With perfect precision, Clio threw the stone and hit Merrick hard in the back of the head.

Slowly, he felt where the rock hit him. He looked at his hand. From where she stood with Derek, Odette could see the blood on Merrick's fingers.

Merrick's eyes burned with rage as he whirled around to see what had struck him.

"You!" he hissed when he saw Clio. "You should have gone home."

"Probably."

Clio bolted without another word, hoping that Merrick would chase after her.

Thoughtlessly, he did, leaving Odette and Derek to escape in the opposite direction. As she ran, half carrying Derek, Odette wished she could thank Clio, but it was more important that she get Derek away from Merrick.

Clio was quick, Merrick had to admit when he was having trouble catching up with her. As she leaped and bounded her way through the woods, Merrick tripped and crashed.

Clio's luck ran out, however, when she came to a fast-moving river. She stopped at its banks, looking first at the dark, rushing waters, then at Merrick, wondering who she was going to face.

"I knew I should have killed you," Merrick growled.

"Don't tell me about your problems."

"Why you impudent little…"

"I'm impudent? You're the one who betrayed your mentor and decided to kidnap people from their homes just for your own personal gain."

"Loyalty is so overrated. Now, you're finished."

Clio smirked. "Only if the river deems it so."

She turned around and dived in, hoping she lived to see land again as she was swept away.

Merrick threw a few fireballs at her, but soon lost her in the dark current. Again cursing his bad luck, he headed back to where Odette and Derek had been, only to find that they were long gone. But that was okay. The woods were too big for them to escape, and finding them would be only a matter of following the right trail.

So, confident that he'd be able to catch Odette and Derek the next day, he decided to rest, having used most of his magic ability when he tried to kill Clio anyway.

XxX

Somewhere in her heart, mind, and body, Odette found enough strength to help Derek through the forest. Miraculously, she found a field, which meant she wasn't far from civilization.

But before she could find said civilization, she collapsed. Carrying Derek had been too much of a burden for her and her legs finally gave out. She was simply too exhausted to go on, and so was he.

"I'm so sorry, Odette," Derek said, taking her hand. "I can't protect you this time."

Odette quickly hushed him. "It's alright Derek. We'll be alright. Just rest."

"Odette, leave me."

She stared at him incredulously; sure that she had not heard him correctly. "What?"

"Leave me here, Odette. If Merrick finds us again, you'll never be able to escape with me in tow. You have to think of yourself. Go home and get help. Even if I don't make it, I want you to live."

"No, Derek. I won't do that. That's not good enough. It cost one of my friend's his life to save you, and I'm not going to let his sacrifice be in vain. We're going to get through this together, or not at all."

He smiled a little. "Always have to have it your way, don't you?"

She laughed. "Always."

XxX

It was just before dawn that morning when the farmer whose field Odette and Derek had stopped in found the two.

"Hey, are you two alright?" he asked, shaking Odette's shoulder.

She gasped, frightened, but quickly realized where she was and what had happened. Quickly, she explained her plight to the old farmer, who was shocked to hear such a story.

"You know, being the only farmer brave enough to venture out here with his family, I thought I'd have the most interesting stories to tell, but it seems I'm wrong. We have an extra room in the house. Can your husband walk?"

"He needs help."

"Alright then, I'll get him to the house. Wake him up."

The farmer helped Derek back to the farmhouse as he said he would, with Odette walking beside them, watching Derek closely for any sign of his condition worsening.

When they reached the house, Odette opened the door and let Derek and the farmer, who name was Quincy, inside, where his wife gasped as she watched her husband carry in a badly injured young man and his wife, who seemed to be hanging on his health as if it was her own.

While Quincy tended to Derek, while his wife, Stella, made sure Odette was alright.

Other than being exhausted, Odette was fine.

And with time, Derek would be too. His leg wasn't too badly hurt, and he would make a full recovery, provided he stay off of it for a while.

For a while, Odette could rest peacefully, but she did not make the mistake of thinking she was safe quite yet.


	9. The Best In A Bad Situation

It wasn't easy for Bromley, Rogers, and Uberta to decide on a course of action that everyone could agree with. Bromley remained confident that Odette could handle herself and that she'd be home soon with Derek. Rogers and Uberta believed that Odette was in great danger and needed to be rescued quickly.

It had taken a while, but they had come to the agreement that it would be best to go to Cordell and make sure Derek and Odette returned safely. However, Bromley had one condition; they would not interfere with Derek's rescue by immediately trying to find Odette.

They left quickly, though it was late in the evening. Uberta and Rogers thought it imperative that they waste no time in reaching Cordell.

It was strange. After so many years of degrading Bromley and treating him like he was nothing more than a poor slob, he finally had respect for Derek's best friend. It made him wonder if Bromley had always been wiser than he let on.

But that was a question for another time.

Rogers, Uberta, and Bromley kept their minds focused on their mission, praying that Odette and Derek would be safe when they arrived.

XxX

For a time, Derek and Odette were safe. They rested at the farmer's house in relative comfort, though they missed their home.

In spit of her longing to be home, Odette knew it would be possible to return until Merrick was dealt with, though she did not know how to go about doing so. There was no way Derek could fight him and she couldn't bring herself to ask anyone to put their life on the line to kill him.

She would have to do it herself, though the idea of taking human life, no matter how evil or troublesome, broke her heart. However, she steeled her heart, thinking of how Derek fought for her when he had to. He felt guilty for it afterward, but it was easy to forgive him; he had done the best he could in a bad situation.

Though she didn't want to tell Derek about her decision, lest he disapprove and try to handle things himself, she had to ask his advice.

So, at night when they were alone, she gently woke him up.

"Derek?"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to ask you something."

He chuckled. "I forgive you, Odette, though I really don't think there's anything to forgive."

She shook her head. "Nothing like that. Derek, I'm going to have to do something about Merrick."

He stared at her for a moment before he answered. "You mean fight him? No."

"Derek, we'll never get home if someone doesn't do something about him."

"I won't allow you to put yourself in danger like that, Odette. I can't lose you to him."

"I have to stop him."

"You can't."

"Derek, I know I can do this."

"But what if you can't?"

She softened her tone, and spoke soothingly to him. "I understand what you're saying, Derek, but if someone doesn't do something, we're going to be running away from him forever. Is that the life you want?"

He sighed. "No."

"How can I beat him?"

Derek reluctantly told her all he knew about Merrick and the things he would keep in mind if he was to fight him. "He's arrogant. He thinks he can be beaten, so he probably wouldn't be careful in a fight. His magic hurts, but it won't kill you. It's not that strong."

"Alright."

"And he has a temper. Use it against him. When he gets mad, he can't control himself. Remember that."

Odette nodded. She kissed him on the forehead, careful not to disturb his bandages. "Goodbye, Derek."

"You mean you're going now?"

"Better now than never. If he catches us here, then the farmer and his wife will be killed too."

She turned to leave. Just as she took her first step away, Derek grabbed her hand and with strength neither one knew he had at the moment, he pulled her into a kiss.

"Be careful," he whispered. "I won't be there this time, so you have to be careful."

"I will, Derek. I promise."

"And I'm holding you to that promise," he assured her.

His grip on her hand lingered as she again began to walk away. Reluctantly, her hand slid from his as the distance between them increased.

Derek watched her go, his heart beating faster in worry. A moment later, however, a new feeling replaced his concern; confidence.

As he thought about it, he realized that Odette could handle herself. After all, she had made it to Cordell. She helped him escape from Stonegate. She'd even half carried him through the woods… twice.

So finding a way to stop Merrick was possible, though it would be difficult. But nothing difficult had ever stopped Odette from getting what she wanted. To put it politely, she was goal oriented, though on a bad day he could call her stubborn.

He wished he could be with her, though. It was killing him that, for once, he wouldn't be in on the fight. He wasn't upset about it because he liked to fight. On the contrary, he hated it unless it was purely for sport – he'd always been good at boxing. It was because it had become instinctive for him to protect Odette and keep her out of danger.

That he was allowing her to walk right into the danger he normally tried to keep her out of was almost appalling to him.

But there was no avoiding it. With or without his blessing, Odette would have gone off to face Merrick.

While Derek admired her bravery, he prayed adamantly for her safety.

XxX

Odette wished she had at least thought of a plan before heading out. She had no weapons, no way to find Merrick, no nothing.

She started walking toward the woods. Just as she was in the middle of the field that she and Derek had fallen in earlier, she saw someone running toward her, emerging from the woods.

It was Clio.

She sprinted over to Odette, bounding through the field as if she were running on air.

"Odette! Am I glad to see you!" she panted.

"I'm glad to see you too," Odette replied. "Are you alright?"

"I feel like I've been running forever, but I'm fine."

"Thank you so much, Clio. If you hadn't been there…"

"Forget it," Clio said as Odette's voice trailed off. "Listen, Merrick's headed here. You need to get going _now_."

"I can't. Derek's too injured to run, and even if we did escape, Merrick would just follow us home anyway. Does he know you're alive?"

Clio shrugged. "I don't know. He chased after me until I got to a river. Since there was nowhere else to go, I jumped in."

Odette nodded. "I'm going to find him and finish this."

"Alone?"

"If I have to."

"Well, you won't have to. I have a plan. As I followed the river, I came across two things: a bridge and a cave. The bridge is just for convenience. It'll make it easy for you to get to the cave. You won't have to go for a swim before finding it like I did. The cave is what's really important. Since Merrick has such a temper, we'll make it work for us. I'll lure him to the cave, where you'll be waiting.

"Here's the hard part; you have to get him to attack you. If you dodge him quick enough, he'll hit the cave walls and all sorts of rubble will hopefully start falling. Now this is a two-way street. If you don't clear out of there fast enough, then you'll get crushed too. So, if you move out of there fast enough, you can meet me above the cave where there's some rather heavy boulders just waiting to fall and trap some poor fool in the cave. There's no way his magic will get him out of that."

Odette thought it a sound plan. At least it was better than nothing. So she agreed to it.

Clio led her to the cave and showed her everything she had talked about in the plan.

"Did you do this?" Odette asked, pointing at the obviously unnatural formation of rocks sitting precariously at the top of the mouth of the cave.

"Sure did. I was up all night, so hopefully, it'll work."

"That's pretty impressive."

"Sure, sure. Now all you have to do is wait here. I'll be back with Merrick."

Without another word, Clio took off, leaving Odette alone.

It didn't take Clio long to find Merrick. He was headed toward the farmhouse from a different direction than the one Odette and Clio had come from.

Clio let out a shrill whistle, one that could make dogs for miles around bark. As Merrick turned around, she waved, grinning like a fool, though she was hiding a more serious intent.

"Come on! You didn't catch me earlier, so I'm giving you a second chance."

Merrick growled and Clio took off again, heading back through the woods and toward the cave, taking a few detours so she could wear Merrick down before they reached Odette.

Of course, Merrick wasn't the only one being worn down. Clio hadn't slept for a long time, so running the way she was took a huge toll on her. By the time she reached the cave, she was completely out of energy.

So Merrick took his chance. He aimed and fired in one smooth motion. Clio fell, injured but still alive. Odette saw this from the mouth of the cave and panicked. It would be difficult for her to move the heavy boulders above the cave by herself.

But she would have to do it if she wanted to leave Cordell alive.

"Over here!" she called to Merrick before he had a chance to finish Clio.

The moment he turned to face her, she dashed off further into the cave.

The cave was narrow, but deep. It took her several minutes to reach the end of it.

When she did, she turned around to see that Merrick believed he had cornered her – and he had, but she planned to use that to her advantage.

For once in her life, she was intentionally going to hurt someone, cut them with words.

"What do you think you're going to do?" she asked, sounding a bit shaky. "You're not going to attack me. You couldn't even finish your training as a wizard."

"Shut up," Merrick hissed.

Ignoring him, she went on. "You're not so tough. You couldn't even get my husband to tell you anything about the Forbidden Arts, but you get points for effort, I suppose."

She went on for a few more seconds, gradually sounding meaner and more confident. By the time she was done, Merrick was quaking in rage.

"What do you know?" he bellowed. "Just keep your mouth shut so I can kill you."

He flung a fireball, and Odette dodged it. She saw some of the rock crumble as the fireball hit the back of the cave. She decided to press her luck.

"You missed. Not much of a surprise really, I mean you couldn't kill Clio until she was about to collapse from exhaustion anyway."

He fired again. This time, the cave walls crumbled a little more and there were more lingering rumbling sounds.

"One more should do it," Odette whispered to herself. She then turned her attention back to Merrick. "Surely you can do better than that! I'm not even trying to avoid you."

She was right. With one more fireball, some of the stone from the top of the cave started falling. Taking her chance, Odette ran past Merrick, stunning him for a moment as she gained the lead in the race to get out of the cave.

The collapse was helped along by Merrick's angrily firing magic at Odette, which she was fortunate enough not to be hit with. But Merrick's magic wasn't the only thing she had to worry about. There were large chunks of rock falling around her, not to mention the dusk that was interfering with her view.

Merrick, being behind the falling rocks, was slowed down by them. He stopped short of a few while back tracking to get out of the way of others.

Before her luck ran out, Odette ran as fast as she could and scrambled to the top of the entrance of the cave.

She tried to push on the boulders, but they wouldn't budge. Clio was still hurt, so there was no way she could help. Quickly, Odette grabbed a tree branch and used it for leverage. She jammed it beneath the heaviest rock, the one that would send the rest crashing down along with it. With all her might, she pushed down on the branch until the rocks begand to move. She shoved the branch forward so that more of it was under the boulder and pushed down again.

It was working.

Just as the rocks were about to fall, Odette could see Merrick emerge from the cave. As the boulders began to fall, Merrick stupidly retreated into the cave.

A few seconds later, the cave was closed off and Merrick was trapped.

Unfortunately for him, he lost his temper and started trying to escape. Odette could hear him yelling angrily and shooting fireballs.

The last thing she heard from him was his screaming as the rest of the cave fell.

Though she had said she wanted to stop him, it didn't hit her until that moment what it meant to cause the death of another person. While it was true that the world would certainly be a better place without people like Merrick, it was still impossible to fathom what his last moments were like.

Odette found herself feeling sorry for him.

However, she felt more sorry for Derek, who was injured because of him, Clio, who was unconscious because of him, and Durand who was dead because of him.

Odette would carry the guilt of killing another person with her forever, but, like Derek before her, she had done the best she could do in a bad situation.


	10. The End

Shaking her mind of her guilt and realizing that she, Derek and everyone else who was held captive by Merrick were finally out of danger, Odette turned her attention to Clio.

"Clio? Wake up!"

"Stop yelling, I'm up," Clio groaned. She stood up and stretched, making sure that every part of her body still worked properly.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. You?"

"Perfect. Merrick's dead."

"Figures that I would miss it. Oh well. What now?"

"I have to go back to Derek and tell him what happened. What about you? What will you do?"

"I'm going home," Clio replied. "I'm tired of being away, and I'm sure my parents are wondering where I am. Hopefully, they'll recognize my face. I'm sure it's done a fair bit of changing over the last year."

"They'll know," Odette said. "Are you sure you'll be able to make it back on your own?"

"After what I've been through, it'll be easy. So I guess this is the part where we go our separate ways."

"I suppose it is. Goodbye, Clio."

"See you around."

And with that, Clio was off, a dot in the distant forest before Odette could say another word.

Odette sighed, glad that at least one of the friends she had made along her journey had survived to see its end. She wished Durand was still alive.

But she couldn't dwell on regrets or grief. It was time for Derek and her to go home.

She made her way back to the farm and told Derek, the farmer, and his wife what happened. While Quincy and Stella were amazed and wondrous at hearing such a fantastic tale, Derek could feel nothing but pride and relief.

Quincy was kind enough to bring them back to the inn where Odette had first arrived in Cordell. From there, they would figure out how to get home.

And oh, were they glad to be going home.

XxX

"We're here!" Bromley said excitedly. "This is the inn that I was telling you about."

Bromley, Rogers, and Uberta had travelled without rest to reach Cordell. Rogers and Uberta could still hardly believe that Stonegate was real.

Together, they walked into the dusty little inn. Uberta had taken some coaxing to set aside her reservations about walking into an inn full of dirty travelers and roughnecks. But for Derek and Odette, she put on a brave face.

There were more than pleasantly surprised when they walked in.

The first faces they saw were those of Derek and Odette's.

They had arrived at the inn first and they were sitting together at a table, trying to decide how best to return to Swan Lake. When they happened to glance up to see who had entered the quiet inn, they were just as surprised to see Uberta and the others.

They stood up and nearly ran over, glad to see some familiar faces after so much time away. Odette led the way, with Derek following her, steadying himself on a crutch.

"Derek! What happened?" Uberta asked, immediately concerned.

"Just a leg injury. I'll be fine soon," he assured her.

They sat down while Odette explained everything that had happened, from start to finish.

Uberta, Rogers, and Bromley could only sit and stare as they heard about the horrors of Stonegate, Clio's kindness, and Durand's sacrifice.

It was quite a story.

XxX

After one last trip from Cordell back to Swan Lake, Odette and Derek were home again and thankful for it.

It was good to see everyone again and even better to have each other.

After so many trials and so many enemies, it was strange that they felt as safe as they did.

"We always feel this way after an ordeal, though," Odette said when Derek brought it up. "It's natural, I suppose."

"Maybe. Do you think there'll be others?"

"I'm sure there will. But if I've learned anything from this, it's that worrying about it won't make it go away."

"To be honest, I was worried about it too. I just didn't want you to be upset or worried along with me."

"I'm just tired of seeing you hurt because of the Forbidden Arts," she replied. "It's you that I'm worried about. I always seem to make these matters worse."

"If I didn't have you, I'd have no reason to get through it. I would have died a long time ago. You're the reason that I keep winning. You drive me and motivate me to a point where I can't lose. The hardest part was not being there when you had to take care of Merrick yourself. I would fight Rothbart a thousand times over before I would relive that worry."

"It was oddly difficult for me to want to kill Merrick. I didn't realize how difficult it would be to harm someone."

"I don't like it any more than you do. But it's something that I've had to do. It's never easy, and you never get used to it, but if I have my way, you won't ever have to fight again."

XxX

A few days later, they were surprised to see Rogers running excitedly up to them.

"Odette, there's a madman outside who keeps asking for you. He said something about helping you in Cordell. He sounds insane!"

Odette smiled. "Durand. That has to be Durand."

She ran to the doors, with Derek and Rogers following behind.

Derek could hardly remember the man that had helped Odette free him. He had seen him for less than a minute before Odette was running out of the prison.

"Durand! You're here!" Odette couldn't think of any other words at the moment. Such was her surprise.

"Yes, I'm here, lass," Durand replied in his usual gruff voice. "Don't go getting all sentimental on me."

"But how did you escape?" Derek asked.

"Did you really think that I was going to stand around and fight off all those guards? Of course not! The second you two were gone, I took off in a different direction. They chased me clear across Cordell before they gave up. Determined buggers…"

"I'm so glad you're alright," Odette said. "What brings you here?"

"Well I was in the neighborhood and… I need to get paid, woman!"

Odette laughed. "I'm afraid I don't have enough money to pay you for what you did for me."

Durand looked around. "Fine then, I'm moving in." He laughed. "I'm only teasing. I don't want to be paid. I just wanted to make sure the job was done."

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Derek asked. "You deserve some kind of reward."

"Sir, I am insulted. I want no money, no reward… except a statue in my honor. And my horse. Where is he, anyway?"

"Well, I'm afraid Clio borrowed him and lost him," Odette said.

"She did what? That little- I ought to- Argh! I give up! I'm never doing anyone any favors again. I am going home. Good God almighty! She lost my horse… my horse!" Durand walked off, grumbling something unintelligible. But before he left completely, he turned back to Odette and Derek and called:

"The next time you're in Cordell, leave me out of it!"

Odette and Derek couldn't help but laugh.

"I can't believe you put up with him long enough to save me," Derek said when he regained control of himself.

"He's not as bad as he seems."

They were quiet for a moment before Derek spoke. "Thank you, Odette, for going after me."

"I would never have just left you to die."

"I know. But it means a lot that you went through so much to get me back."

"I was returning one of several favors." She smiled.

"Let's just hope that we'll never be even."

"Deal."

Derek grinned and leaned down a little, slowly, planting a kiss on Odette's lips, which she returned immediately.

They pulled apart, smiling at one another. Derek had only one word.

"Deal."


End file.
